The newly elected Islamic
Council of Queensland (ICQ)
team took office on 10
February of this year.
Our first task was to take o
we from the previous
committee. With three key
figures relinquishing their
positions simultaneously it
was never going to be an
easy talk, but Alhamdolillah,
we prevailed and the
learning curve was steep but
smooth.
Our first foray into the
public spotlight was to
handle the 15 Match
Christchurch tragedy. The
response to our memorial
service was just phenomenal,
with thousands of people
attending to support our
community.
Following the Christchurch
tragedy, a month later we
had the Sri Lankan suicide
bombings on 21 April. We
expected a massive backlash
but thanks to Allah, there
was no severe reaction from
the wider community.
Public and talking
engagements and explaining
the basics of Islam to many
different organisations and
maintaining the ICQ brand
has been a priority.
Ramadan was extremely busy
with having to attend many
iftaars, especially those
hosted by non Muslim
organisations.
A very successful Eid Down
Under 2019 was another major
undertaking and
accomplishment for the new
ICQ team.
ICQ initiated workshops on:
How to Make your
Vote Count;
The NDIS and two
Mental Health
Workshops.
ICQ held its inaugural
Citizenship Ceremony when 89
people became Australian
Citizens. This was the first
time in Australia that an
Islamic organisation hosted
such a ceremony.
We celebrated the success of
Nadia Saeed, our Youth
coordinator, who won the Qld
Multicultural Youth Award
for 2019.
We also celebrated the
successful invitations to
Abu Dhabi where Dina
Ghasnawi and Nadia Saeed
represented ICQ at the Forum
for Promoting Peace.
We also held our first AGM
in October which went off
rather smoothly.
We end 2019 on a very
positive note. ICQ
successfully worked with
various community based
organisations and charities
to raise $55,000 towards the
Queensland Bushfire Appeal.
We look forward to your
continued support in the new
year.
Thanks to a wonderful group
of volunteers for their
outstanding contributions
and efforts.
With 2019 sadly coming to an
end. The Quran Alive course
would like to congratulate,
the students and alumni of
2019. Thirty-five students
graduated and completed
their year-long personal
journeys of connecting to
the words of Allah Subhanahu
wa Ta’ala.
Although the year may be
over, the students still
remember their sacrifices
and struggles throughout the
year for both full time and
part-time students.
“I went through every
single emotion, from
happiness, sadness, joy
and excitement to
self-doubt, saying to
myself, I can’t do it,
I’m not clever enough
and had the thoughts of
quitting.”
“I now look forward to
carrying on with my
journey in 2020, my soul
is steady, I am stable,
I have contentment and
fulfilment in my heart.”
- Aunty Solihah – 2019
Full-Time Student
How did Quran Alive first
begin?
The Quran Alive course is
the culmination of over 14
years of research and
development. Our Academy
Alive scholars have
tailored, refined and
systemised our unique and
insightful curriculum,
producing world-class
standards of education to
suit all learning styles.
Complete with specially
developed Nahwu (etymology)
and Sarf (morphology)
textbooks, gradual grammar
readers to help you apply
your theoretical knowledge,
and over a dozen Quran
exercise books published to
assist each student to
develop an ayah for ayah
breakdown analysis through
their Quran Alive journey.
“After doing the
course, I felt a greater
insight into my life and
was able to give meaning
and power to my
existence. I also fell
in love with the Quran
and its verses, as every
verse felt as if it
bared heavyweight and
meaning.”
“One of my most
significant trials and
challenges I found was
overcoming the excuses,
laziness and the “put
it-off” mentality.”
- Uncle Naaziem 2019
Part-Time Student
With the year 2019 over and
done with, Academy Alive
welcomes the year of 2020.
With course registrations
limited. Book your
consultation to talk to one
of the
Academy Alive scholars
and secure your seat for
both In-classes and Online.
Mabrook to the students of
2019. May Allah reward you
for your efforts and may
Allah allow you to continue
to search for beneficial
knowledge and enable you to
pass this knowledge onto
your children for many
generations to come. Ameen.
The Hurricane Stars Club has
been running swimming
classes for ladies only and
men only for the past three
years. These classes have
helped 100’s of women and
men overcome their fear of
water, learn to swim and
develop water safety skills.
Over the years there have
been many inspiring stories
told to our program’s
volunteer coordinator, by
the ladies in particular,
about the affect learning to
swim has had on their lives.
Mothers no longer need to
sit on the sidelines and
watch their family play in
the water but now they can
join them in having fun in
the water, mothers have been
able to rescue their
children when they get into
difficulty in the water
because they are not afraid
to get into the water and
ladies can achieve their
dreams of snorkelling on the
Great Barrier Reef because
they have learned to swim
and float.
The swimming program not
only benefits those ladies
who want to learn to swim
but also those who need to
exercise in the water for
medical reasons. We are
increasingly having ladies
who are joining the program
because they were referred
by their doctors, as they
need the low impact/high
intensity effects of
exercising in water. As
exercising in water does not
impact on the joints like
other forms of exercise do
but the resistance of the
water helps them to get a
more intensive workout. Many
ladies have said that the
pain they had been
experiencing in their joints
has eased or gone after
participating in the
classes, especially our aqua
aerobics classes.
Last year we were chosen by
Metro South Queensland
Health to train community
members as swimming
instructors. As a result of
which 15 Muslim ladies
trained to be swimming
instructors and to date 7
have completed their
training and are qualified
instructors.
One of the ladies who is now
a qualified swimming
instructor is a great
inspiration to the ladies –
Sharifa Gouicem (pictured
above). Sharifa joined
the lessons in January 2018,
after having not swam for
more than 10 years. She was
our most consistent swimmer
who came every week and
rarely missed a lesson. When
in September 2018, we
advertised for ladies who
were interested to train to
be swimming instructors,
Sharifa registered for the
training. All 15 trainees
who attended the initial
2-day instructor course were
required to complete 20
hours of supervised training
before completing their
assessment as an instructor.
After completing the initial
2-day course, Sharifa was
the only lady out of the 15
who did the course who came
every week to the ladies
swimming lessons and
completed her training hours
in one term.
Six months after starting
the training she was the
second lady to receive her
swimming instructor
qualification and she is now
employed by the Hurricane
Stars Club to teach the
ladies to swim as a part of
our ladies swimming program.
Sharifa is a great
inspiration to our ladies in
the swimming program as
within 18 months she
progressed through the
swimming program from
student to trainee
instructor to being employed
as an instructor and now she
is mentoring the ladies who
are still completing their
training.
We are honoured to have been
chosen as only one of 27
organisations across
Australia, out of more than
100 applications, to be
chosen as a Swimming
Australia Community Swimming
Grant recipient. We have
been chosen to train more
community members, both male
and female, as swimming
instructors and to also help
qualified swimming
instructors to improve their
skills through further
training as aqua aerobics
instructors, infant
instructors and access and
inclusion (disability)
instructors.
If any community member
would like to train to be a
swimming instructor or a
currently qualified
instructor would like to
increase their skills (both
males and females) please
send an email to
contact@hurricanestarsclub.org
to register your interest.
The hours will be mostly in
the evenings and on the
weekends and trainees must
be committed to completing
their course in a timely
manner and then joining our
program as an instructor.
Sonny Bill Williams has taken
a stand against China’s cruel
oppression of a minority group,
part of which has been likened
to “mass rape”.
Rugby league and rugby union
icon Sonny Bill Williams has
tweeted his support of the
minority Uighur ethnic
group, mirroring the stance
of soccer star Mesut Ozil
which drew an angry response
from China.
Cross-code star Williams may
further provoke Chinese
officialdom with his social
media post, which denounces
the treatment of Uighurs — a
Muslim minority group native
to Xinjiang, the supposedly
autonomous region in China’s
northwest.
China has been
systematically targeting
them, incarcerating as many
as two million in facilities
it describes as “vocational
training centres”. In truth,
they are modern day gulags
where torture and other
human rights abuses are
rife.
In his tweet on Monday,
Williams echoed the belief
of Arsenal playmaker Ozil —
who is also a practising
Muslim — that more countries
should speak out against
China’s reported actions of
detaining Uighur people in
“re-education camps”.
“It’s a sad time when we
choose economic benefits
over humanity #Uyghurs,”
Williams wrote, accompanied
by an image illustrating
oppression against the
group.
Williams’ tweet comes a
month after he signed a
lucrative deal with
Canada-based Super League
club, the Toronto Wolfpack,
having ended a lengthy and
successful career with the
All Blacks.
It remains to be seen if
there is a backlash from
China against the
34-year-old Kiwi, who hasn’t
previously voiced his
opinion on such a sensitive
international topic.
China’s state broadcaster
removed the English Premier
League match between Arsenal
and Manchester City from its
programming in response to
Ozil’s actions. The German
midfielder was also removed
from a Chinese-produced
soccer computer game.
Ozil, who is Muslim,
described the Uighurs as
“warriors who resist the
persecution” and “glorious
believers who are fighting
alone against those who try
to forcibly take them away
from Islam”.
“The brothers are forced
into camps. Chinese men are
settled in their families
instead of them. The sisters
are forced to marry Chinese
men,” he said on social
media.
“Despite all this, the Ummah
(community) of Prophet
Muhammad is silent. Doesn’t
say anything. Muslims are
not supported. Don’t they
know that consenting to
persecution is persecution?
“While these events have
been on the agenda even in
the Western media and states
for months and weeks, where
are the Muslim countries and
their media? Don’t they know
that staying neutral when
persecution is carried out
is despicable? Don’t they
know that what our brothers
and sisters will remember
about these sad days, years
later, is not the torture of
the tyrants, but the silence
of us, their Muslim brothers"
Prejudice (noun): Forming
an opinion on a person or
group of people without
fully examining the
situation.
After the Parramatta
violence against a hijabi
pregnant woman, some
well-known brothers and
sisters said it was
hypocritical for Muslim male
leaders to criticise the
perpetrator, yet remain
silent on family violence
within Muslim families. This
sparked a bigger debate
about whether these remarks
were deflecting attention
from Islamophobia and just
feeding into negative
stereotypes about Muslim
men. This provocative and
highly charged debate struck
at the heart of a tension we
have as a community, in
trying to effectively fight
multiple external and
internal battles when it
comes to prejudice.
Systemic community issues
like family violence do
require leaders to be
accountable on how much
leadership they may or may
not have taken. This comes
back to who are the
‘leaders’ and how do they
interpret their leadership
role.
We are all leading whether
we like it or not. As grown
ups, there are young ones
following us. As parents,
older children, teachers –
it’s not just this special
class of people that many
seem to have bestowed
leadership upon, known as
Imams.
When we choose to do nothing
in the face of injustice,
that is a form of leadership
– just a negative kind – in
the form of tacit approval.
This is the criticism we
have levelled at our Prime
Ministers, at the United
Nations, the US President –
that their refusal to act on
things within their sphere
causes such incredible
damage, especially to
community confidence.
So here we have a conundrum
in that we are wanting to
curb Islamophobia and its
toxic influences, especially
on our next generation and
women, but we are really all
over the place when it comes
to proactive leadership
ourselves on stemming the
examples of prejudice that
prevail internally.
If your family sat around
lunch during these holidays
saying things that created
animosity towards people
based on their ethnicity or
religion or gender even,
unfortunately they would not
be unique.
Prejudiced thinking is
everywhere. We’ve seen
immigrants turn on asylum
seekers ‘for coming the
wrong way’, Muslims turn on
niqabis for ‘propagating
terrorism’, women who speak
up about gender roles and
abuse derided as ‘trouble
makers’, other Muslims and
Arabs privately agreeing
with Dutton’s comments that
it was a mistake to accept
Lebanese refugees and
immigrants in the 70s and
80s, and let’s not even
start with the Sunni/Shia
business.
We are a super diverse lot -
in terms of cultures,
ethnicities, political and
social opinions. While this
means we have mosques and
community centres that look
like the United Nations in
some places (like the
Arundel mosque), it can also
mean that sectarian thinking
can unconsciously rule.
We often stick to groups of
people ‘just like us’. We
might excuse or choose to do
nothing about bad behaviour,
preferring to grandstand and
say that it is typical of
“X” or “Y” people.
How many of us keep the
intention of respectfully
engaging with the ‘other
group’ and seeking truth?
Rather than succumbing to
lazy generalisations and
reductive thinking.
The only way for most of us
to even know if we are
carrying prejudice is to
engage directly with those
who are challenging us, and
listen. Blindspots cannot be
unveiled by ourselves.
.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sister Rita Jabri
Markwell is an
advocate with the
Australian Muslim
Advocacy Network, a
specialist political
advocacy and policy
development body now
working at the
national level. She can be
reached at
advocacy@aman.net.au
Quotes “Pluralism has always
been a part of Indonesia’s
DNA. Despite many
challenges, Islam in
Indonesia has always a force
for moderation.”
“Violence motivated by
anything—especially religion
and belief—damages
diversity.”
“Indonesian Islam is not
Arabic Islam; it does not
have to wear a robe, it does
not have to wear a turban…
The most important thing is
the substance, that is the
morality of Islam—robe,
trousers, sarongs, no matter
that.”
Statistics
Over 17 thousand islands in
Indonesia
700 languages spoken in
Indonesia
Joko Widodo
President of Indonesia
Joko Widodo, or Jokowi as he
is popularly known, was
re-elected President of
Indonesia in the April 2019
elections, winning 55.5% of
the vote. Running against an
opponent who questioned his
Islamic credentials,
President Widodo had
selected Ma’ruf Amin as
running mate. Ma’ruf Amin is
leader of the Indonesian
Ulema Council, the country’s
top Muslim clerical body.
Influence Background: President
Widodo is the first
Indonesian president not to
be from the military or the
political elite. He comes
from a humble background of
Javanese descent. His father
had a small furniture
business, which often
couldn’t make ends meet.
They struggled to put him
through university, where he
graduated in the field of
forestry. After graduation,
Widodo worked for three
years in the forestry
service of a state
enterprise in Aceh before
returning to his family
business.
Successful and ‘Clean’
Politician: Widodo was
the mayor of Surakarta
before becoming the governor
of Jakarta in September
2012. Mayor of Surakarta: He
was a successful mayor who
enjoyed a close relationship
with his constituents. He
focused on promoting the
city as a centre of Javanese
culture, but also developed
the public transport system,
healthcare and business
relations with the
community. He forged a
reputation for being a
‘clean’ politician, avoiding
the charges of corruption
and nepotism which plague
most politicians.
Governor of Jakarta:
His political success
continued with his election
as governor of Jakarta. He
was equally successful as
governor, making meaningful
reforms in education, public
transportation, revamping
street vendors and
traditional markets, and
implementing flood control.
Presidential candidacy:
Various awards (3rd place of
the 2012 World Mayor Prize,
one of the ‘Top 10
Indonesian Mayors of 2008’)
testified to his success as
mayor and governor, and
there was little surprise
when Megawati Sukarnoputri,
the former President of
Indonesia, chose Widodo to
be the presidential
candidate of the PDI-P
party. He has also enjoyed
the support of many
musicians and artists (he
himself is reported to enjoy
heavy metal music), and this
helped him greatly on his
presidential campaign.
Blusukan Culture:
President Widodo has become
well-known for impromptu
visits to see and hear
directly from people in
local communities. This has
allowed him to directly
address their concerns and
criticisms, allowing him to
develop a strong personal
relationship with the
public.
Future Prospects:
Although economic growth has
not been as expected, strong
investment in infrastructure
and social services ensure
that Widodo still enjoys
strong support amongst the
populace. He is also still
seen as an honest leader and
oversaw a successful 2018
Asian Games in Jakarta.
Salih Yucel and Abu Bakr
Sirajuddin Cook, editors Australian
Journal of Islamic Studies
Editors' Introduction (Vol 3
No 3 2018):
The history of Islam within
Australia is an important,
yet often overlooked, part
of Australian history.
Muslim presence in Australia
has helped shape
multicultural experience
facilitating intercultural
dialogue as well as
contributing significantly
to the development of the
Australian nation. However,
to date, it has received
minimal scholarly attention.
There have been significant
studies on the engagements
of the Maccasans, Muslim
fishermen from Indonesia,
with the Indigenous peoples
of northern Australia. These
studies have detailed the
cultural interactions and
trade between them and the
lasting impacts of the
inclusion of language
foreign to Australian soil.
There is also an increasing
awareness of Australia's
cameleers, many of whom were
Muslims, and the
contribution they made to
maintaining trade routes and
assisting early Australian
explorers. Despite the
growing interest in the
field, the history of Islam
in Australia remains an
understudied area of
research. This rich history
dates back further than we
thought and has possibly had
a greater impact than what
is recognised. Given the
current political and social
climate surrounding Islam
globally, it is timely that
this volume of the
Australian Journal of
Islamic Studies is
published. This volume
brings to light the depth
and richness of Australia's
Islamic heritage,
challenging some of the
prevalent assumptions on the
topic, and calls for further
studies in this field.
Australia has proclaimed
itself as being a successful
example of a multicultural
society. It is a society
that has been shaped, and
continues to be shaped, by a
diverse range of cultural
inputs. With this being the
case, it is justifiable to
ask how and why the
contributions of Muslims to
Australia have been largely
overlooked.
Over the weeks, CCN
highlights extracts from the
Australian Journal of
Islamic Studies which is an
open access, double-blind
peer-reviewed journal
dedicated to the scholarly
study of Islam.
ANZAC Muslims: An Untold
Story
By Dzavid Haveric, Charles
Sturt University
.
Abstract: When the
Commonwealth of Australia
became immersed in two World
Wars, Australian Muslims
accepted the national call
-they shed their blood and
gave their lives for
Australia's freedom and
democracy. With their
Australian brothers-in-arms
and allies they fought
courageously with honour
against their common enemies
in different battlefields
-but this is an almost
forgotten history. Muslims
in Australia were challenged
by Britain's imperial might
and by their status as
British subjects and
'aliens' to take part in
ANZAC showing their
commitment to their adopted
country.
The virtue of justice, sense
of responsibility and
loyalty are peculiar
qualities that find their
full justification in the
organised welfare of
Australian society. This
pioneering article, based on
ongoing research on ANZAC
Muslims, makes known their
unique contribution. It
reveals historic facts about
ANZAC Muslims who were
members of what has come to
be known as the Heroic
Generation. Although their
names have not appeared in
history books, they achieved
the glory of victory for a
better future for new
generations to come. Their
contribution is part of
Australian National Heritage
-Lest we forget.
ANZAC MUSLIMS IN
WORLD WAR II
....continued from last
week's CCN.....
After the wars, Australian
soldiers shared their
memories. When not on duty,
they organised entertainment
to enhance their friendship.
In 1940, Smith’s Weekly
reported about two brothers,
the “Indian Diggers” of the
1914 and 1939 wars. The
story was related about Cass
Mahomet, whose brother
Hussein served in the army
in World War II. It told a
little of what the 1914
Indian Digger was doing for
the war of 1939-40:
... at the church army
hut in Ingleburn, I
noticed a crowd of our
boys streaming in. So I
joined the crowd, and on
to the stage came a
dark-skinned chap,
wearing a returned
soldier’s badge. He
[Cass] said he was a
soldier of the last war
and had come over from
New Zealand to see his
brother [Hussein], who
was in Ingleburn camp.
At his own expense, he
had brought out a little
concert party to amuse
the boys.
The programme was a very
good one. The 1914 –18
Indian Digger and his
wife were the principal
artists. But what
appealed to one was that
the 1939 Indian Digger
also took part in the
programme, presenting
some good items. It must
have been a great thrill
for these two Indian
brothers to be up on the
stage entertaining the
boys. At the end, the
crowd got up and gave
them three hearty
cheers. I hope he reads
this, to show we fully
appreciate his action.
During their time of
military service, such
Australian soldiers
remembered that they not
only learned about other
countries and their
cultural-religious heritage,
but also the native lands
and background of their
fellows. It has been
recorded that a party of
Australian soldiers were the
honoured guests at Muslim
religious ceremonies in an
ancient Muslim graveyard in
the Middle East –“a scene
none of the Australians is
ever likely to forget.”
Small parties of Arabs sat
around the tombs in the
swirling, white mist swaying
rhythmically from side to
side and chanting sections
of the Qur’an in unison.
In Jerusalem, the soldiers
visited the Mosque of Omar.
After obtaining passes and
donning felt slippers, they
entered the mosque proper.
Their guide explained to
them the history of the
mosque from its foundation
to the present. They thus
saw magnificent sights,
including centuries-old
mosaics, a huge dome,
rounded with magnificent
pillars of marble, and
which, some historians
suggest, once graced the
Temple of Solomon. They also
saw the stained and coloured
glass windows “the most
wonderful that can be
imagined,” in such hues that
is a “lost art.” The lofty
dome and ceiling re-echoed
the soldiers’ voices,
finding themselves “speaking
to one another in subdued
tones.”
From the Mosque of Omar,
they went to the al-Aqsa
Mosque, “a smaller mosque,
but just as cherished.” From
there, they went to the
mosque museum. There they
saw “the treasures of the
ancients in a marvellous
state of preservation.” In
the museum, they saw the
second oldest copy of the
Qur’an, in a remarkable
state of preservation,
although the pages were
yellow with age.
Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, center,
waves as Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) President Amit Shah, left,
looks on during a public meeting
in Ahmedabad, May 26, 2019.
Continued from
last week's
CCN....
When Modi was
sworn in as
India’s 14th
prime minister,
he was
celebrated not
just by his
support base of
Hindu
nationalists but
also by India’s
major
industrialists
and businessmen,
by many Indian
liberals, and by
the
international
media as the
epitome of hope
and progress, a
saviour in a
saffron business
suit, whose very
person
represented the
confluence of
the ancient and
the modern—of
Hindu
nationalism and
no-holds-barred
free-market
capitalism.
While Modi has
delivered on
Hindu
nationalism, he
has stumbled
badly on the
free-market
front. Through a
series of
blunders, he has
brought India’s
economy to its
knees. In 2016,
a little over a
year into his
first term, he
announced on
television that,
from that moment
on, all 500 and
1,000 rupee
banknotes—over
80 percent of
the currency in
circulation—had
ceased to be
legal tender.
Nothing like it
had ever been
done on such a
scale in the
history of any
country. Neither
the finance
minister nor the
chief economic
adviser seemed
to have been
taken into
confidence. This
“demonetization,”
the prime
minister said,
was a “surgical
strike” on
corruption and
terror funding.
This was pure
quack economics,
a home remedy
being tried on a
nation of more
than a billion
people. It
turned out to be
nothing short of
devastating. But
there were no
riots. No
protests. People
stood meekly in
line outside
banks for hours
on end to
deposit their
old currency
notes—the only
way left to
redeem them. No
Chile,
Catalonia,
Lebanon, Hong
Kong. Almost
overnight, jobs
disappeared, the
construction
industry ground
to a halt, small
businesses
simply shut
down.
Some of us
foolishly
believed that
this act of
unimaginable
hubris would be
the end of Modi.
How wrong we
were. People
rejoiced. They
suffered—but
rejoiced. It was
as though pain
had been spun
into pleasure.
As though their
suffering was
the labor pain
that would soon
birth a
glorious,
prosperous,
Hindu India.
Hussin
Goss conducts (another)
conversion at the Gold Coast
Mosque
Sufi
Qawwali by Farhan Shah &
Brothers
Dubbed the Pakistani
Pavarotti for his phenomenal
voice, Farhan Shah heads
this powerhouse music group
presenting the traditional
Sufi music of Pakistan and
South Asia at this year's
Woodford Folk Festival.
MERRY MUSLIM CHRISTMAS
Khalid's
World Group
How do people who celebrate
Christmas feel celebrating
in a Muslim country?
Zaman International founder
being honoured as CNN Hero
WXYZ-TV
Detroit | Channel 7
You have heard of ”Great
Wall of China”, have you
heard of “Grand Wall of
Masjids”?
Turkish President Erdogan’s
message
to the South African
Muslim Community
CII
International
PLEASE
NOTE
It is the usual policy of CCN to
include notices of events, video links and articles that
some readers may find interesting or relevant. Such notices
are often posted as received. Including such messages/links
or providing the details of such events does not necessarily
imply endorsement or agreement by CCN of the contents
therein.
Young British Muslims support homeless over
Christmas period
Muslim leaders to deliver 10,000
meals to rough sleepers before
December 31 and vow to clean up
after New Year parties.
LONDON: Young Muslim
leaders in the United Kingdom are
attempting to deliver 10,000 meals to
rough sleepers by the end of the year,
and have pledged to clean the streets
after New Year's Eve celebrations in a
bid to start 2020 by helping the
environment.
Adeel Shah, 24, is among the group
working with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth
Association (AMYA), which describes
itself as the UK's oldest Muslim youth
organisation.
He told Al Jazeera that on Wednesday,
Christmas Day, the group will provide
food to rough sleepers and ask them how
they think homelessness should be
solved.
On New Year's Day, the group plans to
pick up rubbish in several towns and
cities, in the hope "2020 will see a
drop in pollution and plastic waste", he
said.
Ethiopian Muslims protest after several
mosques burned
Ethiopians call for justice
after four mosques burned in
attacks in the Amhara region.
ETHIOPIA: Several
thousand Muslims across Ethiopia in
recent days have protested against the
burning of four mosques in the Amhara
region.
The attacks last Friday in Motta town,
more than 350km (217 miles) north of the
capital Addis Ababa, also targeted
Muslim-owned businesses. Muslims have
called for the perpetrators to be
brought to justice.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has called the
attacks "attempts by extremists to break
down our rich history of religious
tolerance and coexistence". Recent
ethnic-based unrest in some parts of the
country has at times taken religious
form.
Prominent Muslim scholar Kamil Shemsu on
Tuesday told The Associated Press news
agency there are "political actors who
want to pit one religious group against
another" and blamed the negative role of
activists and videos circulated online.
Amhara regional officials said they have
arrested 15 suspects in connection with
the attacks. Police commander Jemal
Mekonnen told state media the attacks
appeared to be triggered by news of a
fire that broke out in an Orthodox
church a few days earlier.
Top row: Apsana Begum Lab, Tahir
Ali Lab, Yasmin Qureshi Lab,
Saqib Bhatti Con, Tulip Siddiq
Lab, Sajid Javid Con | Middle
Row: Khalid Mahmood Lab, Zarah
Sultana Lab, Imran Hussain Con,
Naz Shah Lab, Mohammad Yasin
Lab, Nusrat Ghani Con. | Bottom
Row: Rupa Huq Lab, Rehman
Chishti Con, Rosena Allin-Khan
Lab, Afzal Khan Lab, Shabana
Mahmood Lab, Rushanara Ali Lab.
(Credit: Creative Commons)
UK: Muslim candidates won
a record of 18 Parliamentary seats at
this month’s General Election, three
more than in 2017 but slightly less than
expected as Boris Johnson’s Conservative
Party scored a resounding 80 seat
majority.
The number of successful Muslim
candidates are spread over London, the
South-East, the Midlands, North-West and
North East, though none are in Scotland,
Wales or Northern Ireland. No less than
10 are Muslim women, including Apsana
Begum, 29, in the safe Labour seat of
Poplar and Limehouse, who is the first
hijab-wearing MP.
Begum was endorsed by the left-wing
group Momentum and nominated from an
all-women shortlist.
British boxer Amir Khan responds to trolls
who criticised him celebrating Christmas
Shared on Christmas Day, Khan
captioned the picture: “Happy
holidays from mine to yours,
enjoy the festive season."
UK: Amir Khan has
responded to trolls who criticised him
for an Instagram picture taken with his
family at home in front of a Christmas
tree.
The 33-year-old, who is a practising
Muslim, shared the image of himself, his
wife Faryal Makhdoom, and their two
children, Lamaisah and Alayna, wearing
matching pyjamas.
Shared on Christmas Day, Khan captioned
the picture: “Happy holidays from mine
to yours, enjoy the festive season.”
Many commenters were supportive of the
professional boxer, but some disagreed
with Khan celebrating the Christian
holiday when he follows Islam.
One said: “Have some respect for your
religion.”
Another said: “Imagine having a
Christmas tree and being Muslim, could
never be me.”
On Boxing Day Khan responded, saying:
“So shocked by all the hate I’m getting
on my Twitter and my Instagram for
wishing everyone Merry Christmas and
posting a picture with my family in
Christmas outfits. Just want to tell
those people ‘I don’t give a f**k’
[sic].”
Lots of his followers agreed that he
didn’t need to apologise for celebrating
Christmas.
One said: “I became Muslim 31 years ago
and always look forward to celebrating
Christmas with my large Christian family
at my parent’s house just as they enjoy
celebrating Eid with us. Sharing and
celebrating together is what unites us
and removes the divide/hate we see in
society."
Another said: “I’m Jewish, my kids are
half-Jewish, this year we celebrated Eid
with our Iranian friends here in London.
A happy holiday to you…”
Liverpool player Mo Salah has also been
criticised for a picture he posted of
his wife and daughter in front of a
Christmas tree.
Some commenters said
Salah’s picture was “haram”, meaning
forbidden by Islamic law. Salah has not
publicly responded to the criticism.
Instead fans have defended him, saying:
“I’m Muslim and there is nothing wrong
with this picture.
“Islam is about peace and if Mo Salah
wants to take a picture in front of a
Christmas tree then let him.”
Despite
President George W. Bush's
assurances that Islam is a
peaceful religion and that
all good Muslims hunger for
democracy, confusion
persists and far too many
Westerners remain convinced
that Muslims and terrorists
are synonymous. In the
aftermath of the attacks of
9/11, the subsequent wars in
Afghanistan and Iraq, and
the recent bombings in
London, an unprecedented
amount of attention has been
directed toward Islam and
the Muslim world. Yet, even
with this increased
scrutiny, most of the public
discourse regarding Islam
revolves around the actions
of extremist factions such
as the Wahhabis and
al-Qa'ida. But what of the
Islam we don't hear about?
As the second-largest and
fastest-growing religion in
the world, Islam is deemed
by more than a billion
Muslims to be a source of
serenity and spiritual
peace, and a touchstone for
moral and ethical guidance.
While extremists have an
impact upon the religion
that is wildly
disproportionate to their
numbers, moderates
constitute the majority of
Muslims worldwide. It is
this rift between the quiet
voice of the moderates and
the deafening statements of
the extremists that
threatens the future of the
faith.
In The Great Theft, Khaled
Abou El Fadl, one of the
world's preeminent Islamic
scholars, argues that Islam
is currently passing through
a transformative period no
less dramatic than the
movements that swept through
Europe during the
Reformation. At this
critical juncture there are
two completely opposed
worldviews within Islam
competing to define this
great world religion. The
stakes have never been
higher, and the future of
the Muslim world hangs in
the balance.
Drawing on the rich
tradition of Islamic history
and law, The Great Theft is
an impassioned defence of
Islam against the
encroaching power of the
extremists. As an
accomplished Islamic jurist,
Abou El Fadl roots his
arguments in long-standing
historical legal debates and
delineates point by point
the beliefs and practices of
moderate Muslims,
distinguishing these tenets
from the corrupting
influences of the
extremists. From the role of
women in Islam to the nature
of jihad, from democracy and
human rights to terrorism
and warfare, Abou El Fadl
builds a vital vision for a
moderate Islam. At long
last, the great majority of
Muslims who oppose extremism
have a desperately needed
voice to help reclaim
Islam's great moral
tradition.
Welcome to my weekly
column on
Self-Care and
Clarity of Mind.
If you’re taking
time out to read
this, pat yourself
on the back because
you have shown
commitment to taking
care of your mind
and body.
Resolutions
As you embark upon
preparing that
oftentimes
ritualistic annual
list of resolutions
for the new year,
remember to reflect
upon your thoughts,
words, and deeds.
Remember to include
a prayer...
A prayer to be an
instrument for
kindness,
compassion, love,
light, peace,
courage, joy and
justice.
In every moment of
the Creator’s
miracle,
Ask to be an
instrument to
facilitate healing,
empathy, health,
wisdom and
soulfulness.
Every moment in
life's cycle of
learning,
Ask to be a student
and a teacher.
In life’s daily
tests,
pray for lessons
that
uplift, inspire and
celebrate life.
And pray that your
thoughts, words and
deeds
Be in sync with the
Creator's master
plan.
The only plan that
matters.
I am deeply grateful
to you for taking
time out of your
precious life to
read my columns and
send me messages of
encouragement and
constructive
feedback.
Almighty Allah bless
you and your loved
ones with optimal
health and wellbeing
and give you
clarity, courage,
wisdom and guidance
to remain steadfast
in your faith in HIM
alone and to ride
through the waves of
the ocean of life
with gratitude and
prayer.
Life in this body is
temporary. Your soul
temporarily dwells
in a body with
sensory perceptions.
This body reacts to
those perceptions.
In other words, your
body is a bag of
Nafs motivating the
Egoic self to
succumb to
unnecessary fears
and want to control
outcomes instead of
flow with the
Creator's plans for
you. As much as
possible, remain
aware of this and
aim to operate from
your soulful self,
not your egoic self.
Insha Allah, we
shall connect next
year.
If you wish to know
about a specific
topic with regards
to Self-Care and
Clarity of Mind,
please text or email
me. If you wish to
have a FREE one hour
Finding Clarity
telephone session,
contact me on
0451977786
DOWNLOAD
Muslimah
Reflections - my
new ebook of
poetry and
affirmations
DOWNLOAD The
Ultimate
Self-Care Guide
For Muslimahs
WATCH VIDEOS
from Muslimah
Mind Matters
YouTube Channel.
DOWNLOAD
Muslimah
Meditation
Moments - audio
files for
self-awareness
meditation.
If you wish to know
about a specific
topic with regards
to Self-Care and
Clarity of Mind,
please text or email
me or visit
www.muslimahmindmatters.com.
If you wish to have
a FREE one hour
Finding Clarity
telephone session,
contact me on
0451977786.
KB says:
With mangoes in abundance here is a great recipe
which is nutritious, great tasting and perfect
for Summer.
Mango, Lettuce and Avocado Salad
INGREDIENTS & METHOD
Green oak lettuce torn into
small pieces
1 large avocado diced
1 large mango diced
2 tab. slivered almonds, toasted
2 tab. dried cranberries
1 small green chilli, chopped (seeds removed)
Mix all together and place in your serving bowl and
refrigerate.
Dressing
Whisk together 1 tab extra virgin olive oil and 1 tab.
vinegar in a jug.
Season with salt and pepper and pour over the salad mixture
just before serving.
Do you have a recipe to share with CCN
readers?
Send in your favourite recipe to me at
admin@ccnonline.com.au and be my "guest chef" for the week.
Baba's Halal Kitchen
(Hussain Baba is the host and
chef of *BABA’S HALAL KITCHEN*, a show where he uses his own
unique style to cook 'Quick, Easy and Delicious' dishes.)
Baba’s Chicken Curry with Potatoes
"Even though Muslims don’t
celebrate Christmas, we should show our good Islamic
obligations by feeding the “needy and homeless people”.
Today, I cooked “Chicken Curry with Potatoes” for Christmas
lunch for the ‘Needy & Homeless” organised by Susie Longman
and her team in Labrador, Gold Coast"
Q:
Dear
Kareema, what are some of your best fitness tips
for a newbie? I’m starting my new ME journey.
A:
Good on you :
• Get clearance
from your GP
• Start slowly, start easy
• Exercise regularly
• Keep challenging yourself
• Eat healthier
• Keep your water intake up
• Get enough sleep
• Take rest days
• Stay motivated, enlist a workout buddy
• Keep doing YOU!
• The key is to be consistent
• The key is to be mentally stronger than
you physically feel
• The key is to HAVE FUN!!
Australian
International
Islamic College
along with Al-Noor
Institute have
planned an
intensive
program for the
youth during the
school holidays.
This is an
excellent
opportunity to
occupy our
youngsters while
gaining
beneficial and
practical
knowledge about
Islamic topics
taught in a fun,
easy to
understand
format. It is
not only good
for our youth,
but for our
wider community
as well.
Topics for the
junior alim
group include:
Quranic
vocabulary,
Akhlaq of Nabi,
Basic tajweed.
Quran
memorisation,
Wudu and Salah
and concluded
with a fitness
session. Younger
ages from 5
years old will
learn basic duas,
some surahs,
Islamic manners,
Wudu & Salah and
more.
For more
information
contact the
numbers on the
flyer.
This
historic 111 years
old mosque was
unfortunately
targeted today with
threatening
graffiti, symbols of
hatred and reference
to the Christchurch
terrorist. Sadly, in
recent times these
hate crimes have
become common and
many of our patrons
have been victims of
abuse, threats and
even bottles thrown
at them.
We are an open and
welcoming mosque. We
want peace and wish
to keep the
community safe.
After the repeated
attacks we are
looking to upgrade
the security of the
mosque to include
more cameras,
security locks and
gates.
The Australian
community has always
shown great support,
for which we are
very thankful for
and proud to call
Australia our home.
We welcome people
from all communities
to join us and stop
hatred and spread
the message of peace
and love!
Please help us
collect these much
needed funds and
show the offenders
that peace and love
will always win!
1st National Conference 2020. "Environmental Crisis and Our
Obligations to Act: Teachings from Islam and Abrahamic Faith
Traditions"
Griffith University Centre for Interfaith and Cultural
Dialogue
0413 067 160
23 March
(tentative)
Monday
LAILATU
MI'RAAJ
(Ascension
night)
27th Rajab
1441
10 April(tentative)
Friday
NISF SHA'BAAN
(Lailatul
Bahrat)
15th Sha'baan
1441
25 April(tentative)
Saturday
RAMADAAN
(Start of the
month of fasting)
1st Ramadaan
1441
21 May(tentative)
Thursday
LAILATUL-QADR
(Night of
Power)
27th Ramadaan
1441
25 May(tentative)
Monday
EID-UL-FITR
(End of the
month of fasting)
1st Shawal
1441
31 July(tentative)
Friday
YAWMUL ARAFAH
(Day of
Arafah)
9th Zil-Hijjah
1441
1 August (tentative)
Saturday
EID-UL-ADHA
10th Zil-Hijja
1441
21 August(tentative)
Friday
RAʼS AL-SANAH
AL-HIJRĪYAH
(Islamic New
Year)
1st Muharram
1442
30 August (tentative)
Sunday
DAY OF ASHURA
10th Muharram
1442
30 October
(tentative)
Friday
MILAD UN NABI
(Birth of
Prophet Mohammed (pbuh)
12th
Rabi-ul-Awwal 1442
PLEASE NOTE
1. All Islamic Event dates given above are supplied by
the Council of Imams QLD (CIQ) and are provided as a guide and are
tentative and subject to the sighting of the moon.
2. The Islamic date changes to the next day starting in
the evenings after maghrib. Therefore, exceptfor Lailatul
Mehraj,
Lailatul Bhahraat
and
Lailatul Qadr - these dates refer to the commencement of the event
starting in the evening of the corresponding day.
HikmahWay offers online and
in-person Islamic courses to
equip Muslims of today with
the knowledge, understanding
and wisdom to lead balanced,
wholesome and beneficial
lives.
Articles and
opinions appearing in this newsletter do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of the CCN Team, its Editor or its
Sponsors, particularly if they eventually turn out to be
libellous, unfounded, objectionable, obnoxious, offensive,
slanderous and/or downright distasteful.
It is the usual policy of CCN to
include from time to time, notices of events that some
readers may find interesting or relevant. Such notices are
often posted as received. Including such messages or
providing the details of such events does not necessarily
imply endorsement of the contents of these events by CCN
The best ideas
and the best feedback come from our community of readers. If you
have a topic or opinion that you want to write about or want
seen covered or any news item that you think might be of benefit
to the Crescents Community please
e-mail us..
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thoughts, feelings and ambitions for our community through CCN.
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encourage them to enter their details
here.
Young British Muslims support homeless over
Christmas period
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011